The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1887-02-19

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we were indeed alone, in Gods land,
just as He fashioned it, so much grander
and better than mans handiwork. The
gold of the ashes on the mountain tops
held the late sunshine, while we
skirted ravines, dim and eerie, whence
arose the damp, dank alr from
fos ming waters, sweet with the odor
of ferns and blossoming vines.
Then the mountains! Like a dream
of Switzerland they burst upon me,
grand with mighty grandeur be-
yond words, and piled Titan like, one
upon another, until the peaks seemed
as if they touched Gods hand. Over
frail trestles we shot, over gorges, and
through cuts so deep that they were
all bat tunnels, the sun getting lower
behind the Warrior Range and a
twilight golden purple set in, sweet as
cleaning in English lanes.
leaned out and peered with fear.
full fascination down into the mad.
dened foaming Of Green River, as we
shot across it, and the picture is yet
with me of the mist.wraiths of twi.
light laughing up at mo from the opal
tinted waters. The twilight deepened,
and the moon shone out fitfully behind
the lonely mountains, while carried
out of myself, clung to the iron rail.
ing with fingers nipped numb by the
sharp chill winds. could hear the
engine In front painting nightly under
the severe strain like some human
thing, and in Imagination I saw the
engineer sitting rigid, upright at his
post, his unwavering eyes cutting the
dangerous gloom enveloping US, ca,
ress that is half plying in the hand
on the throttle, as dear.to him as the
touch of baby's fingers.
Invent inside as the chill grew in.
tense. The politicians had not yet
done the old lady sat, still with the
infinite rest in the gently folded hands,
and dim, outiooking eyes; and the
drummer There was pair of heels,
a back, and the top of a black cap.
That was all that was left of him SO
to speak. Asleep? Yes,- profoundly,
happily asleep. Well, let him sleep, it
will come back to him soon enough,
that other lite in which he fights so
bravely and cheerfully his aught but
sunshiny way.
"And thank our Heavenly Fathor,
No merchants there to drum"
I quoted devoutly, as I, too, doubled
up and prepared to pass into the bliss
of oblivion for the rest of the jour-
ney."
n X
Staging it to Asheville was very
pleasant and novel experience Steph-
anie thought when they sat out, in the
early bright morning, with crack Of
the whip and prancing of horses.
Her only fellow traveller was an In
offensive, and mild-looking mid.
die aged man, who seemed too much
absorbed in his own affairs to bother
her, and Stephanie felt grateful TO him
in her heart. She sometimes grew
tired of the sound Of her own voice.
She looked her fill, upon dazzling
mountain lifts and shadowy valleys.
Her expression Of keenest delight,
finally attracted the indifferent fellow-
travellers attention, though he still
kept up his accommodating silence.
Now and then he would glance from
the pages Of a notebook, at the pretty
eager face in front of him, and that
look was prolonged 10 a stare when
Stephanie at length turned away with
a little sigh from all this surfeit of
beauty, and drew out of her satchel
book very similar to the one in his
hand, and letter.
1t was from the editor himself, and
she reviewed its contents with apparent
relish, after first running over a credi-
table list of names in her notebook,
headed Hendelsonville.
"We are much pleased with your
work." the Colonel wrote. "keep it
up don't leave stone unturned, and
remember us substantially searly and
often.' We see complimentary notices
in all the papers, about you, and it
affords us pleasure to feel that we have
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